Welcome to Shelf Control — an original feature created and hosted by Bookshelf Fantasies.
Shelf Control is a weekly celebration of the unread books on our shelves. Pick a book you own but haven’t read, write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up! For more info on what Shelf Control is all about, check out my introductory post, here.
Want to join in? Shelf Control posts go up every Wednesday. See the guidelines at the bottom of the post, and jump on board!
Title: Ingo
Author: Helen Dunmore
Published: 2008
Length: 336 pages
What it’s about (synopsis via Goodreads):
I wish I was away in Ingo, Far across the sea, Sailing over the deepest waters, Where love nor care can trouble me…
Sapphire’s father mysteriously vanishes into the waves off the Cornwall coast where her family has always lived. She misses him terribly, and she longs to hear his spellbinding tales about the Mer, who live in the underwater kingdom of Ingo. Perhaps that is why she imagines herself being pulled like a magnet toward the sea. But when her brother, Conor, starts disappearing for hours on end, Sapphy starts to believe she might not be the only one who hears the call of the ocean.
In a novel full of longing, mystery, and magic, Helen Dunmore takes us to a new world that has the power both to captivate and to destroy.
How and when I got it:
I bought it at some point — no idea when or where.
Why I want to read it:
You never know what you’ll find when you do a bookshelf purge! As I pulled books off my over-crowded shelves, to be donated for the next library sale, this is one of the forgotten gems that suddenly appeared! I vaguely recall picking up a copy years ago. I’m sure the cover must have caught my eye, and I freely admit that I’m a sucker for a good mermaid story! I thought this was a stand-alone when I bought it (and maybe it was at the time), but I see on Goodreads that it’s actually the first in a five-book series. I’d still like to give it a try one of these days, although it’ll have to be something truly special if I’m going to be interested enough to continue past the first book.
Have you read Ingo, or anything else by this author? I’d love to hear reactions from anyone who’s actually read this book!
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Want to participate in Shelf Control? Here’s how:
- Write a blog post about a book that you own that you haven’t read yet.
- Add your link in the comments!
- If you’d be so kind, I’d appreciate a link back from your own post.
- Check out other posts, and…
Have fun!
Bookshelf Fantasies 
I haven’t heard of this one but that cover is just lovely! I believe I have read a mermaid book so I’ll have to wait for your review to see if I should try it out!
https://www.dreamcomereview.com/shelf-control-4-until-they-bring-the-streetcars-back/
Thanks for sharing your link! Mermaids must be my destiny today, because I just stumbled across another mermaid book that I should read! 🙂
It sounds really interesting. I have always been drawn to bodies of water. That aspect of the book really appeals to me, plus I also love the fact that it is set in Cornwall.😊
I haven’t read any books from this author yet. 😊
Oh yes, the Cornwall part is very appealing. I guess I can thank Poldark for that!
I’ve read a couple of Helen Dunmore’s books and enjoyed them – the ones I’ve read have been a character-focused story rather than plot but enjoyable. I hadn’t heard of this one though – will have to look into it. This is a great idea for a post – probably should confront my bookcase at some point. Love it.
Thanks so much! I’m glad to hear you’ve read other books by this author — any in particular you’d recommend?
I’ve read Exposure and Bird Cage Walk and enjoyed both of them 😀